Mackay

Mackay is a city 150kms south of Airlie Beach and is just on the outskirts of the Whitsunday region.

Well known for its large contribution in the sugarcane industry Mackay is also home to a lot of people in the mining industry due to its central location. What some people don’t know is mackay has an amazingly diverse range of flora, fauna and aquatic wildlife right on it’s doorstep.

From a fisherman and adventure enthusiast’s perspective there is over 30 beaches to explore with numerous rivers, estuaries and creeks all being quite easily accessible.

The marina wall offers good access to deeper waters and the Marina itself is well equipped. For those wishing to chase reef and game fish there are plenty of islands off the coast and the reef is approximately 2 hours by boat.

Mackay has everything a small city could need with ample shopping options, nice restaurants as well as plenty of great nightlife. The large selection of beaches means you’ll never get bored of the scenery with views fit for the cover of any travel magazine.

Mackay’s central location makes it the perfect stepping off point to further adventures in boating, camping or general sightseeing. You don’t have to go far to immerse yourself in a huge range of different environments from the coast with it’s islands to the rainforest then to some of the inland treasures and mining towns.

Mackay is quite close to amazing camping and fishing opportunities in the stocked waterways of the Kinchant and Eungella Dam where trophy sized Barramundi are the target of amateur and skilled fisherman alike.

The fish are absolute monsters and weight incredibly more than a similar sized fish in the wild due to the fact they don’t have to work as hard for an endless food supply. Catching a fish weighing over 30kgs is not out of the question.

So whether you are looking for an adventure, somewhere to fish or just a place to take it all in and relax, make sure Mackay is on your to-do list.